Chapter Six: Melancholy in the Dead of Night
Happy times are fleeting, and the long night stretches on. Even on a Friday, there comes a time for sleep.
Yet, as is true for anyone, the moment one lies down, the mind races uncontrollably.
He Tianran was a homebody, and just an ordinary person.
So, he couldn’t resist the urge, reaching out with his hands to grasp his—
Phone.
In the dimly lit room, the blue glow cast upon He Tianran’s face as he scrolled through Wen Liang’s social media updates one by one.
He didn’t really want to pry into the campus belle’s posts, but since they were already connected, it felt like a shame not to look.
The latest post from Wen Liang was from three days ago, containing only four short words:
“I’m back!”
Below the words was a youthful, vibrant selfie—Wen Liang’s eyes curved in a smile like a crescent moon, radiating vitality; her smile was like sunlight that warmed the heart and stirred a pleasant itch within.
He Tianran studied the photo carefully and, inexplicably, saved it to his album.
“Three days ago? So she came back through time three days ago? Hmm, saving this photo is for verifying the authenticity of her rebirth. I can tell from microexpressions—it’s serious business!”
He Tianran gave himself a reason and continued scrolling. Most of the girl’s posts were selfies or pictures of food, but keen as he was, he noticed a subtle detail hidden in plain sight.
Every selfie Wen Liang took, whether alone or with friends, except for the very first one, discreetly included another person—
Zhang Zhifan!
The school heartthrob of Gangcheng Middle School, the ultimate social butterfly, son of a renowned pianist, and the obliviously handsome younger brother of the “Gang Zhong Three Character” boys.
In every selfie, Wen Liang would deliberately or inadvertently capture Zhang Zhifan’s back or profile—in gym class, in the school hallways, or in the classroom.
Zhang Zhifan always appeared engrossed in something else, completely unaware he’d been caught on camera. But this latest post was different—it was in class, the teacher’s back turned, Wen Liang making a silly face at the camera, and Zhang Zhifan in the front row casually glancing back—
The only clear front-facing shot.
Damn, he was handsome!
Even He Tianran, a fellow male, couldn’t help but admire him inwardly.
Shifting his gaze to the caption, He Tianran was momentarily stunned. It read:
“The pipes are blooming, the chair is in a foreign land, the leaves have wings.”
The phrase seemed familiar, like he’d seen it before... no, heard it!
He opened his music app and found the song through these lyrics. His pupils constricted; the singer was Chen Qizhen, and the song’s title was—
“The Inner Thoughts When I Fell for You.”
“...”
“...”
He chuckled softly.
Too sleepy...
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Sleep now...
He Tianran calmly set down his phone, pulled the pillow from behind his head, hugged it, and closed his eyes.
I really did discover something remarkable.
Maybe I can tease my classmates with this secret?
They’d definitely be interested!
After all, a crush between the campus belle and the heartthrob is explosive news!
But then again, I don’t seem like that kind of person. Others tease me, but if I did the same, wouldn’t I be like the people I dislike?
Can’t sleep...
He Tianran tossed and turned before opening his eyes again. He picked up his phone; the music app was still running. He browsed through his music library and finally settled on a folk song titled:
“Good Sister Band—Yesterday’s You, Today’s Future.”
“Sometimes hearing others’ songs stirs many emotions,
Suddenly a surge of impatience rises within the heart...”
Soft music unfurled as the lead singer’s magnetic voice narrated the lyrics. He Tianran tapped the share button and posted it to his own social feed.
His social circle consisted mainly of family and a handful of distant friends. With his parents filtered out, this space had essentially become his secret confessional.
There were posts about anime, music, movies, occasional gripes about classmates, and some immature remarks—hundreds of them.
Rarely, within less than a minute of posting, a like and a comment appeared.
The commenter’s avatar was Sailor Moon, and the name was marked as “Old Classmate.”
“Hahaha, you’ve always liked Good Sister Band, haven’t you? In the future, too, but they’re almost disbanded and rarely perform together now.”
He Tianran inhaled and replied:
“Really? Actually, there are many folk artists worth listening to, like Song Dongye, Ma Di, Chen Qizhen, and the like.”
Soon after, a message came back:
“Chen Qizhen? I remember you seemed to dislike her. Next time I’ll ask why, but you never tell me.”
“Dislike? Haha, I’m not sure. Maybe I don’t dislike her now. It’s late, I’m going to sleep—don’t reply.”
Actually, I do dislike her now.
He Tianran added silently, though it wasn’t true hatred—just an unexplained irritation. Normally, chatting with a beautiful girl who actively keeps the conversation going should be quite enjoyable...
Is late night just a breeding ground for sentimentality?
Forget it, I won’t think about it.
Just as He Tianran put down his phone, it vibrated with a new message.
He swiftly picked it up again.
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“When chatting with girls, how can you end the conversation first?! You have to fix that!”
This time Wen Liang didn’t reply on social media but sent a direct message, ending with an angry emoji.
He Tianran ignored it, only watching the “typing…” indicator flicker repeatedly.
He didn’t know what to say. The music continued playing—
“Often thinking about the fleeting time brings some helplessness,
They say there’s no need to worry about your future,
Forgetting the stories that passed in haste,
Days are usually boring, occasionally brilliant...”
“Maybe I shouldn’t get too close to girls like Wen Liang...”
He Tianran tightened the blanket over his head, habitually activating his defense system. The phone vibrated a few more times before finally falling silent.
Under the covers, the phone’s faint glow persisted.
“Are you really asleep? Aren’t you a night owl? This should be the time when your thoughts are most active!”
“Looks like you really are asleep. Maybe I just came back through time too. I’m so happy to meet you again, so I’ve been a bit enthusiastic—don’t be scared!”
“See you tomorrow!”
The last message was a two-second voice clip. The boy tapped it open; the girl’s soft, unique voice gently said—
“Sweet dreams, Tianran.”
He Tianran finally set down the phone and closed his eyes. He whispered back softly:
“Sweet dreams, old classmate...”
Outside the window, moonlight bathed the world as men and women, each with their own thoughts, peacefully drifted to sleep. The music played on, as if telling their story—
“Yesterday’s you, did you ever think of yesterday’s future as today?
Today’s you, can you imagine today’s future?
Future you, perhaps contemplates the future’s future,
Like yesterday that no longer exists.
Maybe someday a cloud will bring you some sorrow,
And then you’ll remember the present,
Maybe I am like that red leaf,
Drifting into your autumn-like beautiful dream.”
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